The Moose Jaw Police Service has requested an independent investigation into the death of an individual who died while in custody on New Year’s Eve.
The incident occurred before 10 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2022, after police reported that a person in the detention centre went into medical distress and stopped breathing.
“Police officers responded immediately and initiated CPR,” police stated in a release. “Emergency Medical Services arrived, continued treatment and transported the individual to hospital. Continued resuscitation efforts were not successful and the individual was pronounced deceased.”
The Saskatchewan Coroners Service, Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) and Weyburn Police Service were notified and are providing independent oversight and investigation.
The Moose Jaw Police Service has said it will not provide further information as the independent investigation continues.
This is the second time within a year that someone has died while in police custody.
On Oct. 7, 2021, police discovered the body of a 40-year-old man in a holding cell. Officers had been in conversation with the individual minutes earlier.
They initiated CPR until emergency medical services personnel responded, with EMS continuing resuscitation efforts. They could not revive the man and pronounced him deceased.
Moose Jaw police asked the Regina Police Service to investigate this death. While the police chief indicated an inquest could be called about this incident, no further information has been released.
